Elsevier

Journal of Biomechanics

Volume 25, Issue 4, April 1992, Pages 329-333, 335-340
Journal of Biomechanics

A computer-based biomechanical analysis of the three-dimensional motion of cementless hip prostheses

https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9290(92)90252-VGet rights and content

Abstract

A computer-based mathematical technique was developed to measure and completely describe the migration and micromotion of a femoral hip prosthesis relative to the femur. This technique utilized the mechanics of rigid-body motion analysis and apparatus of seven linear displacement transducers to measure and describe the complete three-dimensional motion of the prosthesis during cyclic loading. Computer acquisition of the data and custom analysis software allowed one to calculate the magnitude and direction of the motion of any point of interest on the prostheses from information about the motion of two points on the device. The data were also used to replay the tests using a computer animation technique, which allowed a magnified view of the three-dimensional motion of the prosthesis. This paper describes the mathematical development of the rigid-body motion analysis, the experimental method and apparatus for data collection, the technique used to animate the motion, the sources of error and the effect of the assumptions (rigid bodies) on the results. Selected results of individual test runs of uncemented and cemented prostheses are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the method. The combined effect of the vibration and electrical noise resulted in a resolution of the system of about 3–5 μm motion for each transducer. Deformation effects appear to contribute about 3–15 μm to the measurement error. This measurement and analysis technique is a very sensitive and powerful means of assessing the effects of different design parameters on the migration and micromotion of total joint prostheses and can be applied to any other case (knee, dental implant) where three-dimensional relative motion between two bodies is important.

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Cited by (31)

  • Simultaneous and multisite measure of micromotion, subsidence and gap to evaluate femoral stem stability

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    Micromotion has already been measured on cadaveric femurs, but only on a limited number of simultaneous locations. The values of micromotion reported here are compatible with other cadaveric measurements (Walker et al., 1987; Gilbert et al., 1992; Buhler et al., 1997; Britton et al., 2004). Although the comparison is not always easy because of different techniques and loading conditions, most cadaveric studies report maximal amplitude of micromotion and subsidence of about 100 μm, with higher values on the medial than on the lateral side.

  • A new technique to measure micromotion distribution around a cementless femoral stem

    2011, Journal of Biomechanics
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    However, even if the problem is clearly observed and partly quantified, measurement methods are not fully satisfactory. Most of the studies are using linear variable differential transducers (LVDT’s) (Walker et al., 1987; Gilbert et al., 1992; Buhler et al., 1997; Britton et al., 2004; Gheduzzi and Miles, 2007) which do not really measure the local relative micromotion between the stem and the bone, but also include bone deformation between the device fixation and the measurement site. Besides, the number of simultaneous measurement points is limited to 1 or 2, with a reported maximum of 4 (Cristofolini et al., 2003).

  • Primary stability of custom and anatomical uncemented femoral stems. A method for three-dimensional in vitro measurement of implant stability

    2010, Clinical Biomechanics
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    If the exact distances from the centre axis of the stem to the measuring points at the surface of the stem are measured before insertion of the prosthesis, the bone-implant interface micromotion at the anterior, lateral and posterior aspect of the prosthesis could be measured at any desired levels of the stem using our method. A method for full three-dimensional reconstruction of the implant–bone interface movement has been presented earlier (Gilbert et al., 1992), but this method assumed that both the prosthesis and the bone could be considered as rigid bodies, not accounting for the local elastic deformations, especially those of the bone. If the inserted stem follows the rigid body assumption, then the measuring device can theoretically be attached anywhere to the stem.

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